In Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein," a Vast Vision Gets Netflixed Down to Size The latest reanimation of Mary Shelley's classic tale, starring Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi, is a labyrinthine tour of a filmmaker's career-long obsessions. Earlier this year, Quentin Tarantino, when asked to parse the high points of his filmography in an interview, described the two-part "Kill Bill" (2003-04) as "the movie I was born to make." He added, "I think'Inglourious Basterds' is my masterpiece, but'Once Upon a Time . . . in Hollywood' is my favorite." Might these be distinctions without a difference? I'm generally wary of artistic-birthright narratives, not least because a filmmaker of remarkable talent, consistent vision, and good fortune might well wind up with multiple candidates for the honor.

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Del Toro's Frankenstein is a sumptuous take on a classic parable With enthralling visuals and intense performances, this version of Mary Shelley's sci-fi tale reminds us to ask not only if we can create life, but if we can live with our creations, says Davide Abbatescianni Guillermo Del Toro has long been fascinated by the borderlands where science, myth and monstrosity meet. In his new film, Frankenstein, he turns at last to Mary Shelley's foundational text: the 1818 novel that many argue gave birth to both science fiction and modern horror. The result is visually sumptuous, performed with intensity and, at times, philosophically acute - even if its pacing and some design choices betray the heavy hand of Netflix, the film's financier. Shelley's story of Victor Frankenstein - a brilliant but reckless scientist who dares to bring dead matter to life - remains one of the most potent cautionary tales about the promise and peril of scientific ambition. In del Toro's film, Oscar Isaac plays Victor as a charismatic, obsessive figure whose wounds, both personal and intellectual, propel him into uncharted territory.

One thing "Star Wars" fans have come to realize is that each new film in the franchise brings new characters. The upcoming sequel, "The Last Jedi," in theaters Friday, is no exception. There are quite a few new additions to the franchise this time around and they range from guards to workers to pilots and even to robots. Yes, a new robot is on its way. Without further ado, let's all get acquainted before it's time to head to the theater to see the new flick.

"The Shape of Water" is a wonder to behold. Magical, thrilling and romantic to the core, a sensual and fantastical fairy tale with moral overtones, it's a film that plays by all the rules and none of them, going its own way with fierce abandon. More than that, "Shape of Water" is both grounded in the fertile soil of genre filmmaking and elevated to unexpected heights by the transcendent imagination of director and co-writer Guillermo del Toro. Del Toro works well in many genres, from horror to science fiction to gothic melodrama, but as 2006's brilliant "Pan's Labyrinth" made clear, his facility as modern cinema's most accomplished fantasy filmmaker trumps everything else. "Shape of Water," which took home the Golden Lion at Venice, is more than that film's equal, it echoes its legendary predecessor, Jean Cocteau's "Beauty and the Beast," in its ability to simultaneously call forth a spectacular imaginary world and make it heartbreakingly believable.

The latest movie by Guillermo del Toro is the genre-hopping "The Shape of Water," which manages all at once to be a romance, an espionage thriller, a period story, a monster movie and even make time for a full-fledged musical number. His previous feature, "Crimson Peak," was a gothic romance and horror tale. A trilogy of novels he co-wrote became the basis for the television series "The Strain." The "Trollhunters" book he co-wrote became an animated series. And Del Toro often expresses an ongoing interest in video games.